I have been visiting my twin sister, Lauren, in Colorado Springs for almost a month, and I am due to return home to Syracuse in a mere few days. While here, I have been taught how to do stained glass, taught and addicted my sister to batik, and have experienced the most horrific wildfires Colorado has ever experienced.
The first photo shows the ridgeline fire that jumped to the next peak and roared down the mountain, 3 miles in only 30 minutes. Residents scrambled to evacuate, nearly 350 homes were lost, and several lives. It gladdens and saddens me that through this disaster, people took in families and pets and firefighters worked tirelessly, but also evacuated homes were looted and opportunists ran donation scams.
Political, but... sometimes it upsets me that while here, when purchasing an item, I am asked if I am military, who often get big discounts. Yes, these are individuals who put their lives on the line to protect our security, but what about other heroes. What about these fire fighters... the cops... the people who volunteer... teachers... to name just a few. There are so many heroes. Don't they deserve the same? Why do we distinguish one as more deserving than another. Just a thought. End of my rant and onto my rave!
Being forced to stay indoors because of the abundant smoke, I accomplished much on all my projects.
As usual, the Tipperary batik went through an "Ugly" phase and I had to rethink my intentions. Although I did many color studies that finally produced the colors I wanted, the brown dye bath seemed to muddy these colors.
As per my usual artistic method, I had an epiphany in the middle of the night. For me, art is instinct. I decided that I needed to wax out the background with a "hatching" effect to create texture and dimension to the background while still staying relatively neutral so as not to compete with the batik's subject.
I then applied a wash of a brown-blue mix to the background, with the waxed-out brown resisting. The blue tint, theoretically, will fade back from Tipperary, who will be completed with a black dye bath. The image shows the batik while it is wet and will not reveal its color until it dries.
After my efforts have dried, I will again wax out the background so that it will not take on the color of the final dye bath. I don't think I have ever thought and worked so hard on a background before, specifically to make the subject shine. A new learning experience for me... and exactly what this blog is about!! Making mistakes... and new discoveries. A journey in learning.
The image to the right shows the batik held up to a light so you can get an idea of what the colors and pattern will more closely look like. The blotchiness is pools of dye settling on the wax and will be more brilliant when removed. I am excited to start working on Tipperary.
I am also excited about the stain glass windows my husband, Luke, and I have been working on to fit into the four panels on our front door. We have a lovely Tudor style home that has always cried for stained glass, but could never really afford it. Luke finished the two outside panels. The inside panels are almost done, one need patina and the other is ready to start the soldering process. I can't wait to get these home and installed.
Every October, a cavalcade of friends travel to Dewey Beach, Delaware for the annual Greyhound gathering. We all stay in a house mere blocks from the ocean, usually more dogs than people crowding the couches. I always bring a craft project for my housemates, and one year I made silkscreens for shirts, and have every year since.
I have also never used hatching in a batik before. Now that I have been using my Ukranian Easter egg tjanting tool, I can get those fine lines that hatching requires. But never having done this before has made me uncertain and question my sanity. Then I remember my mantra, and move on.
